Zelenskyy to discuss possible elections in Ukraine with Bundestag speaker
The President of Ukraine will meet with Julia Klöckner to discuss the possibility of holding elections in Ukraine. (Photo: REUTERS/Lisa Leutner)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner during his Dec. 15 visit to Berlin, with one
of the key topics expected to be the possibility of holding new elections in
Ukraine, according
to the German parliament’s press office.
“Bundestag President Julia Klöckner will receive Volodymyr
Zelenskyy for talks. One of the topics of the meeting will be the issue of new
elections in Ukraine — the president has stated his openness to this under
certain conditions,” the press office said.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Germany will also include talks with
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and joint participation in the 8th
German-Ukrainian Business Forum.
Earlier, Bild reported that Zelenskyy was planning to travel
to Berlin on Dec. 15. While German government officials had yet to confirm the
visit, journalists noted that heightened security measures in the government
quarter and airspace restrictions over Berlin suggested preparations were
underway.
In addition, Merz has announced potential talks with U.S.
President Donald Trump in Berlin regarding a peace plan for Ukraine. According
to Merz, he and the leaders of France and the United Kingdom have proposed that
the White House finalize the peace plan in the coming days.
On Dec. 10, during his nightly video address, Zelenskyy
commented on the prospect of elections during wartime, saying he had discussed
the issue in detail with members of Ukraine’s parliament.
“I won’t allow any speculation against Ukraine if our
partners — including our key partner in Washington — are talking so frequently
and specifically about elections in Ukraine under martial law. We must give
legally sound Ukrainian answers to every question and every doubt. It’s not
easy, but we definitely don’t need pressure on this issue. I expect members of
parliament to propose their vision. The security challenges depend on our
partners, on America above all. Political and legal challenges must be
addressed by Ukraine — and they will be,” Zelenskyy said.
On Dec. 11, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada
Oleksandr Korniyenko said there were currently no legislative initiatives in
parliament to conduct elections during wartime.
In a Politico interview published Dec. 9, Trump again called
on Ukraine to hold presidential elections, saying he would not rule out
Zelenskyy winning them.
The U.S. president said he believed “they’re using the war
as an excuse not to have elections, but I think the Ukrainian people should
have a choice.”
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